Friday, April 25, 2014

We're "Spring Cleaning" our recipes and meals this month. To get started we're going to add in foods to help cleanse and support the liver. Dr. Hart tells patient that "the Liver is your body's filter" and I think mine needs a good cleaning! Check it out!

Organic Swiss Chard

Leafy Vegetables

On the top of my list for cleansing the liver and high in plant chlorophyll, these
yummy greens pull environmental toxins from the blood stream. They also
possess a distinct ability to neutralize heavy metals, chemicals and
pesticides. Arugula, Dendelion, Spinach, Mustard Greens, Swiss Chard, Kale, Chicory and Cabbage are all excellent choices for leafy greens. Grow Your Own! Heirloom Non-GMO Greens seeds!

Citrus: Orange, Lemon, Lime and Grapefruit

These citrus fruits contain very high amounts of vitamin C, which aids
the body in synthesizing toxic materials into substances that can be
absorbed by water. Drinking freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice in the
morning helps stimulate the liver.

Garlic

Garlic is a proven antiviral and antibacterial that helps the liver
protect the body against harmful foreign invaders. And the
phytochemicals in garlic break down fatty deposits.

Green Tea

My favorite is Yerba Mate. Full of powerful antioxidants called EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate),
green tea provides an overall health boost by lending the liver a
much-needed hand. It helps reduce liver fat as well as protects the organ from accumulating toxins. Green tea has other, wide-ranging health benefits,
including boosting metabolism and aiding in healthy weight loss,
protecting and restoring brain cells, and even lowering your risk of
cancer.

Apples

High in pectin, apples hold the chemical constituents necessary for the
body to cleanse and release toxins from the digestive tract. This detoxifying makes it easier for the liver to handle the toxic load during the
cleansing process.

Cold-Pressed Oils (in moderation)

Cold-pressed organic oils such as olive, hemp and flax-seed are great
for the liver, when used in moderation. They help the body by providing a
lipid base that can suck up harmful toxins in the body. It can
take some of the burden off the liver in terms of toxic overload.

Turmeric

The agent that gives turmeric its bright yellow color contains a
powerful phytochemical component known as curcumin. According to the
University of Maryland Medical Center, curcumin stimulates production of
bile by the gallbladder. The liver uses bile to eliminate toxins; bile
also rejuvenates liver cells that breakdown harmful compounds. For this
reason, turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to
treat digestion and liver disorders.*I buy fresh Turmeric Root from the Yellow Green Farmer's Market*

Cruciferous Vegetables

From Nutrition Facts, "Researchers just found out that the boost in detoxifying enzymes
triggered by cruciferous vegetable consumption may last for weeks!"

*Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Cabbage, Collard Greens

and Brussels Sprouts are the most common cruciferous veggies*

Author and liver specialist Dr. Sandra Cabot says the sulphur compounds
in cruciferous vegetables, which give them their slightly bitter taste,
enhance the liver's detoxification pathways and help the liver break
down and eliminate fat through the bile ducts. Cruciferous vegetables
also contain glucosinolates, which may play a part in preventing cancer
cell growth.Grow Your Own! Heirloom Non-GMO Greens seeds!

I found a great recommendation for a "liver Cleanse" at Green Mountain Garlic:
Here is what you need: (All items should be raw, fresh and are better if organic)
1. Garlic
2. Ginger Root
3. Olive Oil
4. Orange
5. Lemon
6. Cayenne Pepper
7. Mint Tea
8. Water, lots of water
9. (optional) L-Arginine & L- Ornithine Capsules
10. Lots of raw fruits and vegetables. Avoid those high in starch such as potatoes and bananas.
First thing in the morning drink a glass of water.
Place ingredients items 1-6 in a blender, in the following amounts
1. Garlic (4 to 8 cloves)
2. Ginger Root (1 to 2 inches)
3. Olive Oil (1/4 to ½ cup)
4. Orange (1 whole fresh squeezed, juice only)
5. Lemon (1 whole fresh squeezed, juice only)
6. Cayenne Pepper (few dashes, appx ¼ to ½ tsp)
Blend until pureed, you may add water if necessary. Should make about
12 ounces. Hold your nose and gulp it down. The first time I drank
this I had a hard time holding it down and experienced some stomach
pain as I was not used to this much raw garlic. You may drink some
water after to rinse some of the garlic taste out of your mouth. After
20 minutes drink 2 cups of mint tea. For the remainder of the day you
may only eat raw fruits and vegetables, and drink lots of water. You
must drink 1 gallon per day to flush the toxins out (very important!).
Repeat for seven (7) days.

I know "Real" food may not seem like
as much fun as the sugary, chemically, DIY recipes out there on the
internet. This is why REAL Food Friday is so unique. This is the place
to share your unprocessed, gmo-free, locally grown and/or fair trade
posts.

We are trying to make a difference 1 recipe at a time!If your post includes items like *margarine, *granulated sugar, *food dye, packaged baking mixed with ingredients that you cannot pronounce (betty crocker, duncan hines, pillsbury) then it WILL be deleted. These are garbage ingredients. Sorry...Not real food.Here's a great reference from Food Myths:Do you ever think
about how far the food you eat travels? Who grew it? Who picked it?
How much in processing it's been through before you took a bite?Real Food is:-Supports fair farmworker wages-GMO Free-Little to no processing/processed ingredients-Supports local markets/vendors and isn't transported long distances to get to my plate-Honors fair trade principles when I buy from othr regions-Meat
and dairy should be humanely raised and on real food themselves-Not
genetically engineered feed, drugs, hormones and antibiotics.

Link up your Real Food posts! Processed and "junk food" posts will be deleted.The party runs from Thursday at 7pm EST through Monday at Noon.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Have
you every wondered why we recommend stretching and exercise to just
about everyone who walks in our door? For most patients, we give
specific home instructions which are vital to their successful stability
and recovery.

Chiropractors and Exercise Are Better Than Drugs (study)

By Dr. Mercola

Chronic pain is an exceedingly common condition impacting an estimated 76.5 million Americans, one-third of whom describe their pain as severe and "disabling".

Among them, many suffer from neck pain, which is the third most common type of pain according to the American Pain Foundation.

It
is estimated that 70 percent of people will experience neck pain at
some point in their lives but research into effective treatments is
surprisingly limited.ii

If
you visit a conventional physician for pain, there's a very good
chance you'll leave with a prescription for a medication,as nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and even
opioids (OxyContin, Vicodin, etc.) are the go-to treatment for pain in
the modern medical world.

However,
there are better options than drugs for neck pain, not only in terms
of pain relief, but also in helping to treat the underlying cause of
the pain so that healing can truly occur.

According
to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and funded
by the National Institutes of Health, medication is not the best option
for treating neck pain.

After
following 272 neck-pain patients for 12 weeks, those who used a
chiropractor or exercise were more than twice as likely to be pain free
compared to those who took medication.

Specifically:

32 percent who received chiropractic care became pain free

30 percent of those who exercised became pain free

13 percent of those treated with medication became pain free

Researchers concluded:

"For
participants with acute and subacute neck pain, SMT [spinal
manipulation therapy] was more effective than medication in both the
short and long term. However, a few instructional sessions of HEA [home
exercise with advice] resulted in similar outcomes at most time
points."

NEW Heirloom Varieties available in SPECIALTY HeirloomsAll of the seeds listed are open-pollinated, non-gmo and non-hybrid, non-patented, untreated, heirloom garden seeds.
Mary has signed the Safe Seed pledge. Seed Orders placed Monday-Thursday are shipped within 24 hours, except for holidays.Shipping on Heirloom Seeds is Free within the Continental US!

I know "Real" food may not seem like
as much fun as the sugary, chemically, DIY recipes out there on the
internet. This is why REAL Food Friday is so unique. This is the place
to share your unprocessed, gmo-free, locally grown and/or fair trade
posts.

We are trying to make a difference 1 recipe at a time!If your post includes items like *margarine, *granulated sugar, *food dye, packaged baking mixed with ingredients that you cannot pronounce (betty crocker, duncan hines, pillsbury) then it WILL be deleted. These are garbage ingredients. Sorry...Not real food.Here's a great reference from Food Myths:Do you ever think
about how far the food you eat travels? Who grew it? Who picked it?
How much in processing it's been through before you took a bite?Real Food is:-Supports fair farmworker wages-GMO Free-Little to no processing/processed ingredients-Supports local markets/vendors and isn't transported long distances to get to my plate-Honors fair trade principles when I buy from othr regions-Meat
and dairy should be humanely raised and on real food themselves-Not
genetically engineered feed, drugs, hormones and antibiotics.

Link up your Real Food posts! Processed and "junk food" posts will be deleted.The party runs from Thursday at 7pm EST through Monday at Noon.

How
is your garden growing? I know I've shared links for growing many
varieties of veggies but herbs are some of my favorites (especially the
easy ones). Many varieties take up very little room and require minimal
attention to flourish.

Anise hyssop can be started indoors 4-6 weeks prior to the last frost of the spring.

Transplant outdoors after the final frost of the season, once plants are approx. 3-4 inches tall and show their first true leaves.

Anise will grow in partial shade as well as full sun.

The
plant grows to 3 to 5 feet tall and 1 foot wide and reseeds freely.
Anise Hyssop is an excellent addition to your garden as it is
bee-friendly and edible. Attracts bees, butterflies and even
hummingbirds

Sow seeds outdoors when soil is warm and temperature does not
drop below 65°F. Can also be started indoors 4-6 weeks before planting
out. Make successive sowings for continuous summer supplies. Pinch back
flower stalks as they appear to keep plants from bolting. Prefers rich well-drained soil.

Basil
has few pests, but occasionally pests such as aphids, flea beetles,
and Japanese beetles will feast upon it. I use a spray bottle of water
or water with neem oil to detach aphids.

Catnip
grows as a loosely branching, low perennial. In a flowerbed, you can
plant catnip in front of purple coneflower, which blooms about the same
time. The plant bears tiny, white blooms that are not very showy. You
can also grow it in containers.Set out transplants in the spring after
the last frost. Keep plants full by pinching the growing stems and
flower buds when they appear.

Dill is a very easy herb to grow and can be grown indoors or outdoors.

Dill enjoys full sun, and flourishes in average to fertile soil with good drainage.Sun can damage dill if it has too much of it. However, you will want sun shining on it at least six hours a day. If
you have some moisture in the air this is great. But if you struggle
with moisture in the air you will want to mist your dill plant from
time to time.

To plant dill, place seeds over loose soil and cover about a half inch deep. Keep soil moist but not water-logged.

Lavender can be grown from seed or from cuttings. Lavender can be difficult growing from seed but not impossible.

Make sure that you plant
lavender in warm weather. It should be in the late spring or Early
summer. Lavender needs lots of sunshine. Make sure that it will not be
in a great deal of shade."

Soil is very important. Drainage is important and should include loose compost. Lavender can be grown both in the ground as well as in containers. The larger the container, the larger the plant may grow.

Sow
four or five seeds per pot in moist potting soil. Cover them with
compost or soil to exclude light. Keep them indoors at room
temperature. Planting in Peat Pellets will make transplanting simple and ensure the roots are not disturbed.

When
the seedlings begin to show, move them outside, out of direct sunlight.
Thin them to one seedling per pot. They are ready for planting in their
final position outside when the seedlings are 4 inches high.

Tarragon
can be grown in containers for two or three years with no special
care. They can also be over-wintered indoors if you have a sunny
windowsill.

Tarragon prefers well-drained soil which is not too high in nutrients. It will do equally well in full sun or partial shade.

When Transplanting: dig
the soil well before planting and add a handful of bonemeal per square
yard at the same time. If the soil is not well-drained dig in as much
well-rotted organic material as possible to open up the soil - I use
rotted leaves.

Choose a position where they can remain undisturbed for two or three years. You may not think that Tarragon
is not a very pretty plant (depending on who you ask), so consider this
when choosing a position. Mulching with organic matter in October will
help them over winter if your area has particularly harsh winter
weather.

About Me

You may have noticed that the price on food, especially produce has been going up.The quality, not to mention the nutritional value, has been suffering for quite a while.
Heirloom seeds or seeds that have been passed down for generations are
far hardier and as some studies suggest, have more nutritional value
than genetically modified (GMO) seeds.I don't sell
anything that I wouldn't grow in my own garden. All of the seeds
listed are un-treated, non-hybrid, open-pollinated, non-gmo, heirloom
seeds. Plants are grown using no chemicals.

Anyway, I
have been growing my own vegetables and besides the money they save me
the flavor is WAY better than the vegetables available at the
supermarket.It also makes me feel less dependent on the supply and I know what goes on my veggies.I
put together a few packages of seeds that seem to belong together and
the individual seeds are available also. Food prices are not going down
and growing your own food, especially heirloom veggies, is a great way
to save money and get more nutrition for your dollar. Happy planting,Mary